During 1997, the Town Council of Flores undertook a program to incorporate the rock art found on its territory to the national heritage.

Flores (in the center of Uruguay) is one of the provinces where it can be found the majority of sites with prehistoric paintings in the country. Nevertheless, it is the province that has suffered the biggest impact due to damage in the entire Uruguay, having lost near 30% of the known paintings.

The Program included the analysis of the conservation state of sites and suggestions about measures to be taken in order to protect and preserve them. Along its development, five sites with paintings were protected and another two new ones were discovered, which at this time are being processed in the laboratory.

This is the first time in Uruguay that sites with rock art are being protected and at the same time it is intended to incorporate them into society through educational actions and diffusion.

This Program was based on the investigations carried out by CIARU technicians and the participation of the Heritage Provincial Commission of Flores.